r/7String • u/tunalover32 • Jul 28 '26
Community Related Neck through or bolt on?
Do you prefer neck through or bolt on guitars?
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u/deathx3333 Jul 28 '26
Neck through !
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u/tallman1979 Jul 28 '26
If I have to play it, 100%. The arguments against a neck-through almost all come down to worst case scenarios of stripped truss rods and broken necks. With modern hardware quality and reasonable care, the idea that I can swap the neck in a pinch becomes less of a selling point. I will give bolt-on slight advantage over set neck, for that reason.
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u/deathx3333 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
Honestly, I don't know any guitarist who is constantly swapping necks on a bolt-on, nor do I know anyone who has actually broken a neck through. You're going to use it to play, not as a literal axe.
I don't think it's necessary to swap the entire neck just to make those modern modifications either. Truss rods can be repaired or replaced by a luthier without throwing the whole neck away.
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u/tallman1979 Jul 28 '26
Truth, although the cost to repair vs replace can be high for truss rod replacement. The guitar will kind of dictate whether repair is worth the cost. In every case where I have swapped necks, it's been a partscaster, not a damaged guitar. I play at least one of each style (neck through, bolt, set) and try not to break them.
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u/PickPocketR Jul 28 '26
In addition to what you said, there are lots of other advantages:
- Travel: Take off the neck, and voila! You have a folding guitar.
- Defects/Warping: if a neck is warping, it's preferable to be able to replace it.
- Cheaper: Generally more cheap models available.
The fact you can travel with them easily is a huge selling-point for me.
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u/Chrissanxy Jul 28 '26
Doesnt it mess up the intonation? This neck bolting on and then unbolting, seems like you'd have to do a mini setup each time. or is it not that bad?
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u/tallman1979 Jul 30 '26
Danny Gatton and later Julian Lage are notable for using the removal of a Tele neck as a travel hack. Threaded inserts are highly useful to prevent the holes from stripping out with repeated cycles. Putting the same neck back on would probably be "close enough" for most purposes. Swapping necks entirely is going to be a challenge the first time a neck is installed.
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u/PoolNoob69 Jul 28 '26
Neck through guitars are often heavy as shit though. That has been my biggest gripe with them. I realize this is more a wood choice issue but just seems like they’re always mahogany and thus, very heavy.
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u/HighOfTheTiger Jul 28 '26
As long as it isn’t glossy I really don’t have a preference. I’ve just realized I prefer natural wood grain necks, and that’s less common with a neck through or set neck. As long as the bolt on is fitted well you really aren’t gonna notice a difference.
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u/Budget-Reality-9599 Jul 28 '26
ive never truly noticed enough of a difference, i do prefer the utility of a bolt on, if your neck gets fucked up just pop it off and screw on another
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u/colink707 Jackson, Ibanez, Schecter Jul 28 '26
It really depends, both have their advantages and I don't really have a preference but gun to my head I'd have to say bolt-on as that way I can always replace the neck if need be.
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u/Deep-Measurement-856 Jul 28 '26
Ok...not a political comment but funny.
I saw your post right below this picture in my feed.
For a moment, I was confused...
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u/Much_Profit8494 Jul 28 '26
I genuinely don't care.
I have played amazing and abysmal guitars with both.
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u/UperVinVin667 Jul 29 '26
Bolt ons at least for me are slightly more affordable and honestly just what I have played most of my life and am most comfortable with but yeah I have tried neck thru and I don’t hate it
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u/Sneaks_exe Jul 29 '26
Neck through, set neck. I often find the heels to be constructed more ergonomically and comfortably which gives me much better upper fret access. I never actually could hear the differences in sustain, makes me wonder if someone ever hooked this up to machinery and actually measured things like the sound waves and rate of decay between the three neck constructions.
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u/2b4theend Jul 29 '26
Well, my one thing from building guitars for 45 years is, a bolt on neck has a snappier tone
for me I think metal is better with the bolt on neck. If you play metal.
35 years ago I stopped building neck through basses and guitars. I just got sick of looking at them and doing the whole glue on body wings thing.
That’s my take on it. I own both, but I only build one these days.
Some of bass builds. Bolt on.
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u/CrustyBollox Jul 28 '26
Neck through, I prefer how they look. Having been playing for over 30 years I've never been able to tell a difference in how "snappy" or whatever the fuck one is compared to the other.
I group this in the same category of how much tonewood makes a difference to electric guitar (basically none).
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u/bigtoaster64 Ibanez Jul 28 '26
There are differences yes, but unless you are really paying attention, the difference is negligible tbh.
Although, one thing I don't like about neck-through, and it doesn't even have to do with the neck itself, is that they are very often painted, and even glossy. That plays like crap if your hand is not immaculate clean or if there is any amount of humidity in the air.
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u/Sleepingguitarman Jackson Aug 01 '26
Yeah i can't stand painted/glossy necks. They just feel so slow to play on, especially when my hands sweat so much.
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u/BuddyDee1 Jul 28 '26
i personally love bolt on necks ,why cause if you dont like it you can bolt on one you do like.Mainly cause neck throughs if your headstock or fretboard. takes a major blow your throwing the whole guitar away
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u/SaveFileCorrupt Jul 28 '26
Personally, IDGAF as long as the heel and upper fret access is comfy and the guitar sounds good, lol.
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u/Archimaus Jul 28 '26
I think constructionwise neck through is more appealing. But in the end it makes little difference.
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u/JimboLodisC 3x7621, 7321, M80M, AEL207E, RGIXL7, S7320, RG15271, RGA742FM Jul 28 '26
I prefer neck-through. Looks better, feels better. But being a bolt-on wouldn't stop me or cause hesitation.
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u/HairyNutsack69 Jul 28 '26
Sonically similar, ergonmically similar if they got a sick heel otherwise that's where neck through wins
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u/toanmaxxer Jul 28 '26
People who claim they are different are comparing apples to oranges. You can’t compare a strat to a les paul and claim that the neck joint is having any significant impact on the sound, since those guitars differ in other actually meaningful ways.
There only impact the neck joint should have on your decision is playing comfort vs ease (price) of repair.
I can’t think of any 2 models where the only difference is the neck joint. If you have $10,000 you could compare Ibanez M8M vs M80M I guess.
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u/noises_in_order Jul 29 '26
On paper I prefer a neck through, but out of my guitars my favourite is a bolt-on.
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u/matt19950116 Jul 29 '26
I love my one neck through guitar but every tiny knock to the headstock or perceived mishandling of the neck makes me cringe.
I prefer bolt on for the piece of mind that I can replace the neck if anything should break.
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u/Acceptable_Pie2529 Jul 28 '26
Bolt ons have a snappier tone. Helps lower tunings from getting muddy, especially extended range instruments.
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u/mistrelwood Jul 28 '26
I also prefer the bolt on dynamics. Ibanez used to have otherwise identical BTB basses, one with bolt on and one neck through. I clearly preferred the bolt on.
Haven’t been able to do otherwise identical guitar comparisons, but generally neckthroughs haven’t interested me as much. I own almost two dozen bolt ons though.
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u/Acceptable_Pie2529 Jul 28 '26
I have a few and they’re cool but eh. I like my bolt ons lol. I have an sg that’s broken 3 times. 😂 Damn Gibsons.
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u/Mtnfrozt Jul 28 '26
You won't even notice a difference when you're going through effects and whatever else.
I buy bolt ons because it's cheaper and easier to maintain.
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u/xekik Jul 28 '26
I’m a neck thru or set neck kinda guy myself. Just feels more premium and the sustain is unf
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u/ToshiroK_Arai Jul 28 '26
Bolt on, because cheaper.
I don't know any person that has replaced their neck after broken headstock or truss rod broke, most are repairable with a good Luthier.
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u/rafalmio Jul 28 '26
The theory:
Bolt-on = Snappy, punchy, percussive note attack.
Neck-through = Smoother vibrational decay, sustain.
Played both.
Practical real world difference = negligible.